Oasis kicked off their Live ‘25 shows in South Korea this week, revealing Mike Moore as the replacement for their guitarist Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs.
Earlier this month, Arthurs announced that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and would have to miss a number of the band’s shows in order to undergo treatment.
A founding member of the Britpop group along with brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, he played with them from 1991 to 1999, rejoining the band last year ahead of their hugely anticipated reunion tour.
After some speculation as to who would fill in for Arthurs during his absence, it was revealed during the Seoul gig at Goyang Stadium on 21 October that Moore would be filling in.
Moore has previously played with Liam’s solo band and also featured on the rock star’s three solo albums, including 2022’s C’mon You Know.
And while Arthurs was unable to be at the Seoul gig in person, the band honoured him with a cardboard cut-out of the musician alongside their usual cut-out of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
Fan footage from the Seoul gig showed Noel introducing the band, as he does for each show, during which he welcomed Moore with the cut-out of Arthurs on full display.
The guitarist was clearly pleased with the tribute, as he shared a photo to his Instagram page along with the caption: “Play it loud Amigos.”
He also shared a photo that showed the cut-out looming behind Noel during the concert, prompting hundreds of fans to cheer him on in the comments section.
In a statement posted in September, Arthurs revealed he was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and was responding “really well” to treatment.
“Now, I am having to take a planned break for the next phase of my care, so I’ll be missing the gigs in Seoul, Tokyo, Melbourne and Sydney,” he said.
“I’m really sad to be missing these shows but I’m feeling good and will be back ready to go in time for South America. Have an amazing time if you’re going this month and I’ll see you back onstage with the band in November.”
In September 2022, Arthurs disclosed that he had been given the “all clear” after an earlier diagnosis of tonsil cancer.
Oasis will next play two nights in Tokyo on 25 and 26 October before heading to Australia for three shows in Melbourne and two in Sydney.
Arthurs is due to return to the lineup in time for the band’s final dates of the tour, which will take place in Argentina, Chile and Brazil in November.
